Improvement in water-wheels



tirant tata pero effet JOHN H. STAPLES, OF WELLS, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN H. FERGUSON AND SAMUEL CLARK, AND ONE-HALFTOl SAMUEL CLARK, OF

SAME PLACE.

Leners Patent No. 113,592, dated April 11, 1871.

v iMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in' these Lettera Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, Joan H. STAPLES, ofWells, in the county of York and State of Maine, have iuvented a new anduseful Improveinent in Water- Wheels; and 1 do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming part of thisspecification, in which- Fgure 1 represents a horizontal section of myimproved water-wheel.

' Figure 2 is a detail side view of the same,

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectionv of one bucket of the same, z x,iig. 2, being the section line.

Similar letters of reference indicate 'corresponding parts.

This invention relates t-o a new manner of constructing the buckets andtop plates of water-wheels for the purpose ofpreventing loss of power byan nnprolitable presentationrof surfaces to the moving water.

My invention consists in making the inner surfaces ofthe buckets slopingconcavously toward and against the core of the wheel, and in the samemanner providing a gradual descent toward the said core or center 'ofthe projectingl top plate of the wheel.

`The outer face of each bucket and the top surface of the wheel remainstraight, as heretofore.

Ain the drawing represents the core or center of the; water-wheel B isthe shaft of the same;

O is the upperplate or ange; and

D D are the buckets ofthe same. All these parts are of suitable size,shape, material, and construction.

The buckets are o n the inner faces-that is to say, on the faces whichare struck by the water-rounded against the center, forming the concaveplanes a a, Shown in g. l.` Each lof these concave planes or inner facestapers almost to a point at the lower end of each bucket, so as not tocrowd the contracted, be-

causehorizontally placed, lower spaces between the' buckets.

The water striking the-concave planes a will always reach the same in aninversely radial direction, and can consequently not be thrown backagainst another bucket or part of the wheel, as only water space isopposite each concave plane.

The back of each bucket is not rounded in conside, also provided with acurvd concave plate, b,

which produces a gradual concave plane, extending from the edge of theplate O to the center. or core of.,

the wheel. 'lhis concave slope serves to close a space which wouldotherwise also be a useless retainer of water, causing consequent lossof power.

The concave planes c b may be .produced by plates attached to theseveral buckets or parts of the wheel, as indicated in the drawing; orthey may be cast solid or otherwise into their respective places, as maybe found to be most economical or preferable.

Having' thus described my invention.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The straight backc of the buckets, and the inwardly concaved plates b of the top plate C,combined as described, with concave faces a, for the purpose specified.l

JOHN H. STAPLES.

Witnesses:

SARAH A. FERGUSON,

ELIzA A. KIMBALL.

